Lakes Woman Faces $100-a-day Fine For Fence

March 9, 2005|By Toni Marshall StaffWriter

She wanted to keep her dogs from running away and bothering her neighbors. Now Barbara Steiner has until Saturday to remove the white, picket fence from her Lauderdale Lakes home or face a $100-a-day fine.

Lauderdale Lakes commissioners Tuesday night voted 6-0 against granting Steiner, 59, a variance or hardship order to keep the three-foot high fence, which commissioners said violated a ban on front-yard enclosures.

"I'm very disappointed. I think it was very bureaucratic and I don't think they put their residents first. They put their property first," Steiner said. "I have no idea what I'm going to do now."

In August, Steiner tried unsuccessfully to persuade commissioners to change their code banning fences. Steiner, who is disabled and dependent at times on a cane or walker, put up the fence to corral her three dogs, which rush out the front door when she opens it.

During a routine drive in August, code enforcement noticed the fence in the 3400 block of Northwest 33rd Street and gave Steiner a warning.

"The majority of the commission was not in support of the variance. They wanted to value the city code," said Jonathan Allen, assistant city manager for Lauderdale Lakes.